The field of the invention relates generally to electrical equipment and, more particularly, to heat transfer from an electrical component to an enclosure.
Electrical distribution equipment and components are generally required to operate within predetermined parameter ranges associated with temperatures. For example, one such parameter range defines an upper temperature rise limit for electrical equipment panels, such as electrical distribution cabinets. At least some known electrical distribution cabinets include a plurality of copper or aluminum busbars that are arranged and configured to be physically and electrically isolated from each other. These busbars are current-carrying conductors that are used to distribute electric power within associated electrical distribution systems. As current is transmitted through the busbars, heat is generated by mechanisms that include I2R losses. Known heat removal mechanisms for these electrical distribution cabinets include circulating air within the cabinets, thereby relying primarily on convective heat transfer within the cabinets to remove the heat generated by the busbars from the vicinity of the busbars. As the temperature of the internally-recirculated air increases, a margin to predetermined temperature-related operating parameters within the cabinet is decreased. Additionally, as a need for increasing electric power transmission density through limited physical space evolves, the space available to increase the size of the busbars and the distance separating them becomes constraining.
Also, mechanical coupling hardware is typically used in electrical distribution cabinets to facilitate electrical contact between adjoining busbars. Such mechanical coupling hardware also facilitates increased localized electrical resistance and localized “hotspots.” Therefore, additional heat removal capacity is needed to maintain the temperatures of these localized hotspots within predetermined parameters.
Furthermore, some known configurations using devices for facilitating faster heat transfer, such as phase change heat transfer through heat pipes, from the busbars more effectively are limited because these devices are electrically conducting and generally cannot be placed directly into electrical contact with an enclosure since the electrically-energized contents may present a risk of electrical conduction to the enclosure.